About Richa Sharma

Playback Singer

Richa Sharma Singer Biography, Interview & Pictures

Richa Sharma (born 29 August 1972) is an Indian film playback singer as well a devotional singer. In 2006, she sang Bollywood's longest track, the bidaai song, in film Baabul (2006).

Early life and background

Richa Sharma was born in 5L-90, NH5 in Faridabad, Haryana, the youngest of seven children of a temple priest. Her father Pandit Daya Shankar Upadhyaya and mother Manorma Devi taught young Richa the art of singing bhajans, particularly Mata Ke Jagran, which slowly and steadily became her destiny in the initial years of her life.

Career

Richa Sharma was eight years old when she was invited to sing before religious congregations in and around Delhi. She got herself enrolled in the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.

Under the tutelage of Pandit Aaskaran Sharma, Richa went on to get proper training in Indian classical and light music. Richa added ghazals; film songs, Punjabi and Rajasthani folk songs to her repertoire, thus making her voice reach out to more and more people in a variety of sounds.

While music was at its peak in Richa’s life, academic education had to be sacrificed and without any backing with a dream to make it big in the music world, Richa landed in Mumbai in 1994. She sang cover versions and bhajans in order to ensure she had her bread and butter and simultaneously continued her struggle in Bollywood. She made her debut in Bollywood with Sawan Kumar’s Salma Pe Dil Aa Gaya in 1996 and followed it up by a number of films until the big hit came by in the form of Taal where she sang for A.R. Rahman.

The versatile playback singer has also done quite a few albums to showcase her talent. Albums like Ni Main Yaar Nu Sajda Kardi, Piya and Winds of Rajasthan (for Times Music released early 2004) have brought out the classiness and grace in Richa’s voice and her variety as a singer.

In March 2011 Richa Sharma and her family inaugurated Saibaba Temple in Faridabad, Haryana and launched her first Saibaba devotional album Sai Ki Tasveer released by SaReGaMa India.

Concert

(New Jersey/New York) Richa Sharma will be a part of the Summer Beats 2008 Concert presented by Ariz Inc and Mehta Entertainment all around the US.

Awards

* Bollywood Movie Award for the Best Singer Female 2003 - MAHI VE(Kaante)
* Zee Cine Award for the Best Singer Female 2011 For Song Sajda My Name is Khan

Television

* She is a contestant on the NDTV Imagine singing reality show Dhoom Macha De
* She hosted the ever-popular Antakshari with Anu Kapoor on Zee TV.Richa’s exuberance and earthy style of hosting the show attracted a lot of attention. She hosted the show for almost a year before ending a successful run on television.
* She appeared on the singing reality show Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star as a guest judge.
* She also apperead on the singing reality show Indian Idol as a guest singer.
* She also apperead on the singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar as a guest singer.

"O Baby O Baby" is one of the remarked album. She has sung "Hye Lagi re lagan"in sufi andaz under Music Director : Shailesh-Utpal(Gujarati Shakira fame)

Richa has also sung a song "Ram tu Shyam tu" in a Marathi album "Sangeet Manmohee Re" composed by famous composer Shridhar Phadke. Richa also sung a beautiful song for movies Saawariya and for Om Shanti Om.

On March 20, 2011 Richa and her family inaugurated Shri Saibaba Temple in Faridabad and launched her first Saibaba album 'Sai Ki Tasveer' released by SaReGaMa with 8 classical devotional bhajans of Saibaba of Shirdi.